Thank You For Loving Me
by elfmaiden4legs
Summary: What if the injury Jack recieved during the episode 'Sleeper' wasn't just simple? Jack discovers that his team truely do love him in the face of adversity, and finds an unlikely ally also!


**Thank You For Loving Me**

**First Torchwood story in a while, and I've been working on this for an age! Hope you enjoy! Please REVIEW!**

"Jack are you alright?" Gwen frowned as she caught a proper glimpse of her Captain for the first time as the adrenaline fuelled by the events of the past few hours, which had previously blinkered her to the state of everything else which had been going on around her, finally began to wear off. Beth turned with her in unison, startled as she said this, taking in Jack's set expression, the small smile of victory still etched into his handsome face. The three were still breathing reasonably heavily from their recent exertion… although she could still see nothing of any initial or obvious distinction to cause alarm in Jack's expression.

Captain Jack Harkness was no ordinary man, born in the fifty-first century, Gwen had learnt a long time ago that nothing he said no matter how unbelievable was ever incomprehensible, and the more she found out about him the more she discovered that she didn't really know him at all. But despite this she had learnt to trust and believe in him, even when he had told her that he was immortal because she had seen it with her own eyes.

Even as the small group now stood facing each other however Beth became aware of Jack's complexion beginning to pale, his cheeks flushed with an angry red, his agitation and discomfort evident by the slight frown plaguing his expression, and suddenly she couldn't blame the other woman for her concern… the alarm steadily beginning to rise within her own heavy, if not artificially human heart. Although what Beth didn't realise was that it was what Gwen could no longer see, or more specifically sense about her Captain's normally composed, ever prepared and ready demeanour, that became the greatest cause for her current concern.

The steely glint to Jack's usually bright and keenly alert expression had steadily faded, to be replaced now by a dull and distracted glaze. The rise and fall of his heaving rib-cage became heavier, more desperate, when the inevitable exhaustion of their recent exertion had at least in the case of the two women, already began to wear off… and Gwen suddenly noticed from the torn and open lesion beneath his shirt and great coat, that the wound which Jack had sustained to his upper left shoulder had, as yet, failed to heal.

Still relatively raw, it was already bleeding quite heavily. The bruised and swollen tissue surrounding the laceration certainly looking ugly enough to cause the young woman some alarm, although Gwen wasn't overly concerned, certainly not as concerned as Beth appeared she thought as she glanced over at their temporary companion. Jack was easily able to loose twice the amount of blood as regular men before it even started to show sign of beginning to affect him… although come to think of it, he was suddenly beginning to look a little peaky.

As Gwen left Beth's side and went to the aid of her Captain however Jack gave a meek but what he at least hoped to be reassuring smile, despite the futility of it all. Gwen knew Jack better than anyone else, both either inside or outside of Torchwood… except of course Ianto Jack mused, smiling inwardly to himself as he thought of him. Compassionate and caring that she was, the two qualities which Jack had come to most admire about the young woman during her time at Torchood, there was no way that she wasn't going to see through the smile now, the easy persona, especially in light of his growing lethargy… no way he could keep the act up long enough to convince her. Those very qualities which had first attracted him to Gwen Cooper in the first place, the reason why he had first considered her potential as a valuable member of his team, exhausted him now as he fought a loosing battle to keep both the pain and his fear from her.

Pain and fear he only now realised he felt…

Complexion tinged with pink and blue, eyelids almost painted with a deep grey hew as the blood began to swell and congeal around his wounded chest and shoulder, his breath shallow yet undeniably strong as he began to shiver and convulse, knees threatening to buckle beneath him as Jack suddenly groaned, and sat down heavily, unable to conceal his distress any longer.

"Oh God Jack!" Gwen gasped.

Surprisingly Beth was also by his side in an instant. Although he still didn't entirely trust her, he conceded that he had no other choice however but to accept her aid in his current state.

"Jack are you alright?" He heard Gwen ask him, suddenly realising that he must have been sitting, his head resting on his knees for a fair few seconds before he finally registered the fact that she had been speaking to him, and suddenly the darkness he'd only just realised was screening his vision, was replaced with daylight yet again, a glow much stronger and more intense than even before.

Jack squinted, listlessly brushing the two women's efforts to help him off, before finally bringing a clammy hand up to shield his aching eyes, palms secreting a fine film of sweat as Gwen instinctively helped him off with his great coat, in order to take a closer look at the wound.

"What's going on Jack?" She asked. "Why aren't you healing?"

"I don't know." He gasped, as he tried to sit up. The young woman's attentions were already firmly drawn to Jack's raw chest and shoulder now, applying relevant pressure to the wound when she could to try and stem the flow of blood. She was however at least relieved to discover that although painful it was nothing as serious as she had first imagined it to be… if not somewhat disconcerted that this in turn meant that they would have to look elsewhere to explain Jack's current lethargy.

"I'm going to try and get through to Owen." Gwen explained after a short silence. "Just wait there Jack, I'll see if the phone line you set up is still connected to the Hub."

Jack nodded and noticed that as Gwen moved a few paces distance Beth stayed where she was. Concern still clouded the young woman's expression… if in fact she was even female (Jack hadn't stopped to consider the inconsequential facts), and for a moment he thought that she may have been about to speak.

"Owen!" He suddenly heard Gwen's panic stricken voice over the intercom system however, "Owen!" and when he looked again Beth simply turned the other way.

"Gwen?" It was Toshiko's silky tone which responded. "What's up?"

"Owen?" Gwen asked. "Where's Owen?"

"I'm here Gwen." The soft cockney drawl of the young Doctor immediately answered. "What's wrong?"

"It's Jack." She explained. "He's wounded. I think something must be really wrong."

"Gwen, I can hear every word you're saying." Jack chucked, smiling through gritted teeth as he spoke. "For someone who's trying to appear reassuring… you're not giving me very much confidence at this moment in time." He continued.

"Why what's happened?" Owen asked, as Gwen suddenly glanced behind to see Jack half grinning, half grimacing at her. Owen on the other hand was either oblivious to, or had chosen to completely ignore Jack's words as he spoke to the young woman again.

"He's not healing Owen." She continued to explain, and for the first time since the entire incident had began Jack realised just how concerned Gwen really appeared to be, her tone becoming more desperate with each passing moment, Jack's head spinning with the sound of Gwen's frantic tone ringing in his ears, Owen trying to calm her as Beth looked on.

"Gwen?" Jack suddenly heard another voice cut in over the headset.

"Ianto?" Gwen asked.

Jack smiled to hear the soft Welsh tone of the young man's voice, the man he loved, resounding through his earpiece.

"What's up with Jack?" The young man asked.

In the confusion however nobody appeared to have noticed Beth's expression change from one of bewildered confusion to that of dawning comprehension.

"They said they knew about you," She suddenly spoke, "They said they knew about Torchwood." Her tone was somewhat unsure at first, as though distracted by a thousand varied thoughts, although there was clearly something preying upon the young woman's mind Gwen realised, as she paused for a moment, the young welsh woman encouraging her to continue hopefully.

"Beth?" She asked, turning to her with this. "If you can remember something… anything that may help us…"

"I can read his mind…" Beth spoke absentmindedly. "A trace of memory, somehow… somehow connected with my own. I know… I know something of what he was thinking before he died."

"What is it Beth?" Gwen asked.

"Poison, Gwen." Beth suddenly turned to her with this, eyes wide, tone pitchy with realisation. "It's poison."

"What?"

"Some sort of toxin…" Beth explained, "Designed to override the Captain's biology. I don't know though, I can't be sure." She turned to Jack, addressing him directly. "He said that they know you Jack." She continued. "Knew of Torchwood… you're different Jack… so different to anybody we've ever encountered before… but nothing can beat them Jack… not without cost."

"But how?" Gwen asked.

Jack sighed. "When I was wounded." He explained.

Gwen with this however was already onto it, situation now in hand she thought, she had her finger already pressed up to her ear, informing Owen of these recent developments.

"Owen, Beth says its poison." She explained as Jack heard her voice over the intercom again. "Some sort of toxin!"

"In that case Gwen, we need the anti-toxin kit." Owen instructed her. "Do you have it with you?"

"I think there must be one in the back of the SUV." She explained.

Gwen turned with this, absentmindedly directing a brief glance in the direction of the jet-black vehicle, before continuing.

"Right… well I guess you'll have to send Beth to get it then." Owen instructed. "Whatever you do Gwen, don't go yourself, stay with Jack. We can't trust her."

"Right." Gwen nodded as she turned to Beth.

"I need you to get something for me." She explained to the young woman, who still looked somewhat bemused by the situation. '_Poor woman,_' Gwen thought, '_only this morning she had a life to be happy with, a husband whom she loved. Now she couldn't possibly know who she was anymore._' Although there was little time for Gwen to concern herself with Beth now, her main priority being Jack. "There's a piece of equipment, should be in the glove compartment of the SUV." She continued. "A bit like a small hand held computer, and I'll need the laptop…"

Beth nodded as Gwen handed her the keys to the vehicle, before departing.

A moment of calm silence elapsed between the two after that, during which both Jack and Gwen looked upon each other, locking eyes in quiet conversation.

"Gwen." Jack spoke to her after a moment however. "Thank you."

"For what?" Gwen asked, but Jack simply smiled.

When Beth finally returned Gwen set to work extracting the necessary blood sample from Jack, as the Captain looked on, exchanging small talk with Beth periodically, as Gwen drew the blood from his arm, doing her best to minimise the discomfort. As soon as she entered the sample into the machine, it soon became apparent however that things were not as straightforward as she had first hoped it might.

"I'm not getting a reading Owen." She revealed after a few minutes of waiting for the anti-toxin kit to process the sample with no success.

"You need to take the blood from around the area of the wound Gwen." Owen explained.

"But…" The young woman immediately faltered, looking at Jack.

"There's no other choice Gwen…" Owen urged. "I'd do it for you myself sweetheart if I could, but we don't have that much time."

"It's alright Gwen." The Captain explained, exchanging looks with the young woman reassuringly.

"Gwen?" Owen asked.

"Ok." She sighed. "Alright… I'm sorry Jack." She turned, tears filling within her deep brown eyes as they met with Jack's apologetically.

"Please, just get on with it though." Jack grimaced suddenly as another bout of pain, more intense than the last, surged through his body as the poison began to take a tighter hold.

"Right…" She nodded.

Jack winced, crying out as the needle penetrated the area of already raw skin around the wound.

"Sorry Jack." Gwen apologised, taking her eyes off what she was doing with the hypodermic for just a moment to smile at him reassuringly. Although it didn't take long for Gwen to extract the sample she required, Jack's shoulder continued to throb for a short while after the needle had been removed.

"I'm getting a reading!" Gwen suddenly cried however a few minutes later.

"Brilliant!" Owen exclaimed. "Right Gwen send it through to here so that Tosh and I can take a look at it!" He instructed.

"I don't like the look of these readings though Owen!" Gwen explained as she mailed the results of the computers scans through to the central Hub. "These readings are off the scale!"

"It'll be alright Gwen." Owen reassured her. "Right, got them… not lets see." The line went silent for a moment whilst Gwen assumed that Owen checked out the results of the scans, concurring with Tosh as she heard the young woman's voice speak in agreement on occasion before Owen once again resumed the conversation. "One shot of anti-toxin should be enough until you can get him back here to the hub Gwen." He advised. "I know it looks bad… but in Jack's case it's really not as bad as it looks!"

"Glad to hear it Owen." Jack laughed, although over the intercom Gwen was surprised to hear how weak his voice had become, and as she heard Beth scream out her name she turned to see Jack, Beth lowering his weak frame to the ground.

As Gwen approached she noticed the perspiration streaming from his brow, skin pale, eyes half closed.

"Jack…" She spoke, "Come on Jack!" Before turning to face Beth. "We need to get him back to the SUV NOW!"

The two women struggled with Jack's frame between them as they helped him back to the SUV, before finally setting him down on the back seat of the vehicle as Owen talked Gwen through on how to administer the shot.

"Come on Jack… please…" Gwen pleaded as she emptied the contents of the pre-packaged solution into Jack's arm. "Come on…"

"It'll take a few minutes Gwen." Owen encouraged her from the other end of the line.

But as the minutes ticked by and Jack seemed to be showing no sign of response to the antigen he had just received Gwen's anxiety grew, until finally he opened his eyes.

"Well, welcome back Jack." She beamed. "You had us all worried there for a while."

"What me?" Jack smirked, croakily. "You should know by now sweetheart that you don't get rid of me so easily."

The two women settled Jack comfortably into the back passenger seat as Gwen took another look at Jack's wound now that he had received the correct solution to counteract the toxin currently flowing through his system.

"Looking good." She smiled, applying a temporary dressing to the abrasion as Beth jumped into the front passenger seat of the SUV. "Substantially smaller than before at least."

Jack smiled, reaching up to squeeze Gwen's hand gratefully, winking at her as she returned his smile in the process. Words failed them both, although they each knew what the other was thinking at that moment, as Jack closed his eyes… although he was only asleep this time round.

"Right Gwen, get him back here as soon as you can." Owen's voice broke over the intercom as she removed Jack's ear piece, before jumping into the front driver's seat herself and speeding away from the Military Base and towards Cardiff city centre.

"On our way Owen." She responded, glancing back with a relieved smile at the figure of Jack now resting comfortably on the backseat, now content and in peace of mind that everything was now going to be just fine.


End file.
